Still thinking about that Hokkaido trip a friend invited me to take. Where to next?

So a buddy of mine invited me to go on this small group trip through northern Japan. I'm usually the type of person who packs a travel itinerary until I’m totally miserable, but I decided to just pull the trigger on it.

It was just a tiny group of us,, riding around 25 miles a day through Daisetsuzan National Park. We did this loop through volcanic valleys and these massive flower fields in Furano. The absolute best part was that the crew hauled our main luggage between stops. I really didn't want to grind up alpine climbs with a fully loaded bike, so not having to deal with that meant we could actually look around and enjoy the scenery.

Our daily routine was great. We’d pedal through these quiet, empty roads, stop at some tiny middle of nowhere spot for insane miso ramen or fresh scallops, and then end the afternoon soaking in a local volcanic onsen until our legs stopped burning. We even took a ferry out to Rishiri Island for a couple of days to ride along the coast right next to a massive volcano.

By day three, it just felt like exploring with old friends. I'll settle for regular camping trips if I have to, but I'd really love to be able to fulfill my dreams of just doing this every year. If you’re looking for quiet roads, ridiculous food, and a hot spring at the end of the day, you gotta look into northern Japan.

I’m trying to plan my next move and would love some recommendations from people who have been doing this for a while. Where should I look next? Are there specific regions, routes? I'd love to hear your favorite recommendations.